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Hot and sour chicken soup has a tangy, lightly thickened broth with savory shiitake mushrooms, crunchy bamboo shoots, and shredded chicken. It’s an easy way to turn leftover chicken or turkey into a cozy bowl of soup in 30 minutes, all in one pot.
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I made this hot and sour soup during a snow storm and it was the perfect meal to have on a super cold winter’s day. So warming, tasty and easy to make! Thanks so much for sharing. Love love love this recipe! ~ Amanda
Why I make hot and sour soup with chicken
If you love that first tangy sip of Chinese hot and sour soup, you’ll find it here, along with a gentle warmth from hot sauce and white pepper. I use cooked chicken to make it easy on a weeknight. The flavor starts with garlic, ginger, and shiitake, so the broth has plenty of depth by the time the chicken goes in.
If you’re looking for the version with pork and egg ribbons, try my hot and sour soup with pork.
Key ingredients
- Cooked chicken or turkey. Leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or leftover Thanksgiving turkey all work. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces so it’s easy to eat by the spoonful.
- Fresh shiitake and optional enoki. Shiitake gives the broth its deep, savory flavor. Add enoki if you like their delicate texture.
- Canned bamboo shoots. They give the soup a little crunch. Drain them before adding them to the pot.
- Distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Choose distilled white vinegar for the sharper tang I associate with traditional Chinese hot and sour soup. Apple cider vinegar gives the broth a slightly sweeter, mellower tang.
- Hot sauce and ground white pepper. I use Frank’s Original for a little heat and finish with white pepper for a gentle peppery warmth.
How to make hot and sour chicken soup
- Build flavor with garlic, ginger, and shiitake. Sauté the garlic and ginger just until fragrant, then add the vegetables and mushrooms. This is where the soup gets its savory base, especially when you’re starting with cooked chicken.
- Simmer the vegetables, then add the chicken. Let the carrots, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots simmer in the broth before adding the shredded chicken to warm through.
- Taste for a bright tang and gentle heat. Taste the broth before you thicken it. I like a little sharpness from the vinegar and just enough heat to warm each sip. Add a little more vinegar or hot sauce if you want either flavor to come through more.
- Thicken lightly and finish. Stir in the starch slurry until the broth is lightly thickened, then finish off the heat with scallions, toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. If the soup gets thicker than you like, stir in a splash of broth.
What to serve with hot and sour chicken soup
- For a family-style dinner, serve smaller bowls of soup with Chinese black pepper chicken and steamed rice. If you have leftover turkey, pair the soup with turkey fried rice.
- For a dumpling night, pair the soup with crispy rice paper dumplings or shrimp wontons with dipping sauce.
Recipe Card
Hot and sour chicken soup recipe
This 30-minute Chinese hot and sour chicken soup has a tangy broth, shiitake mushrooms, and crunchy bamboo shoots. Use leftover chicken or turkey.
Video
Ingredients
- 0.7 oz garlic minced about 3 large cloves
- 3 tsp grated ginger
- 5 oz. carrots julienned, about 2 large
- 5.5 oz. fresh shiitake sliced
- 7 oz enoki mushrooms optional, 1 packet bundle
- 14 oz. canned bamboo shoots drain before using
- 3 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil divided
- 3 pinches coarse sea salt divided
- 32 oz. chicken bone broth 4 cups
- 3 cup shredded and cooked chicken or turkey
Seasonings:
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste, (alternative: 1–2 tbsp coconut aminos)
- 1/2-1 tsp sugar or to taste (omit if using coconut aminos)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1-1.5 tbsp hot sauce I use Frank’s original hot sauce
- 3 tsp tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
- 2-3 bulb scallions chopped
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Small dash ground white pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the aromatics and vegetables: Prepare the garlic and ginger in one bowl and the carrots and shiitake in a second bowl. Trim off the root end of the enoki mushrooms and gently separate them with your hands. Drain the bamboo shoots and set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with 1½ tbsp oil until the oil shimmers. Add the garlic and ginger with 1 pinch of salt. Sauté for 5–10 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the carrots, shiitake, enoki (if using), the remaining 1½ tbsp oil, and 2 pinches of salt. Sauté for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Simmer the soup. Add the bamboo shoots and chicken broth. Stir, cover with a lid, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 7 minutes.
- Add the chicken. Increase the heat to medium, add the shredded chicken (or turkey), and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Season the soup. Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and hot sauce. Stir well and taste, adjusting the seasoning to your liking.
- Thicken the broth. In a small bowl, mix the starch with 2 tbsp water to make a slurry. Stir well, then slowly pour it into the soup while stirring. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the broth thickens.
- Finish and serve. Turn off the heat. Stir in the scallions, sesame oil, and white pepper. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge up to 4 days. You can also freeze portions of the soup for longer storage.
- Reheating: To reheat, transfer individual portions to a saucepan and gently warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Or reheat single servings in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
- For mushrooms: Shiitake and enoki mushrooms give a great woodsy flavor. But you can use oyster, wood ear or other mushrooms instead. White button or cremini mushrooms work in a pinch but won’t have as much umami flavor.
- For the vinegar: Use a sharp vinegar like distilled white vinegar for authentic hot and sour flavor. Apple cider vinegar also works well. For serving, Chinese black vinegar adds a sweet-tangy flavor as a condiment.
- To make vegetarian: Omit the chicken. Instead, add firm tofu, bok choy, shredded cabbage, and a whisked egg for protein.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 260kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 418mg, Potassium: 523mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3991IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
More Chinese soups to try
- West Lake Beef Soup has a silky, savory broth with ground beef, tofu, and egg ribbons.
- Browse my 25 handpicked Asian soup recipes for more ideas, from light Chinese broths to hearty noodle soups.
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It rained the last couple days so your Hot and Sour Soup recipe was the perfect antidote! I had all the ingredients on hand, used tofu instead of chicken, and it worked out great! Very tasty and easy dish to make. Will definitely keep it on rotation through the fall and winter months. Thanks for another easy to follow and great tasting recipe!
Thank you so much. I’m so happy to hear. :))
I made this hot and sour soup during a snow storm and it was the perfect meal to have on a super cold winter’s day. So warming, tasty and easy to make! Thanks so much for sharing. Love love love this recipe!
Thank you so much. Appreciate it 🙂
Absolutely fantastic,, great taste, easy to make and my husband loved it. The last few days I’ve made 4 of your recipes and they all have been superb. The recipes are easy to follow, very explicit and detailed so no errors on my behalf. Haven’t decided what I’ll make tomorrow.
Wow you are so awesome, Lily! Thank you so much and happy holidays!